By The Editors of Prevention
The occasional manic Monday is a fact of modern life. But if you're
under chronic stress—suffering a daily assault of stress hormones from a
demanding job or a personal life in turmoil—symptoms may be subtler,
says Stevan E. Hobfoll, PhD, chair of the department of behavioral
sciences at Rush University Medical Center. (Make YOUR well-being a
priority this year! Join
Prevention and other leading minds in health & wellness for our
annual R3 Summit.) If
you experience any of the signs that follow, take some time out every
day, he says, whether it's to go for a walk or simply turn off your
phone.
1. Stress Symptom: Weekend headaches
A sudden drop in stress
can prompt migraines, says Todd Schwedt, MD, director of the Washington
University Headache Center. (Here are
4 crazy things migraines increase your risk of.) Stick closely to your weekday sleeping and eating schedule to minimize other triggers.
2. Stress Symptom: Awful period cramps
The most stressed-out women are more than twice as likely to experience
painful menstrual cramps as those who are less tense, a Harvard study
found. Researchers blame a stress-induced imbalance of hormones. Hitting
the gym can soothe cramps and stress, research shows, by decreasing
sympathetic nervous system activity.
3. Stress Symptom: An achy mouth
A sore jaw can be a sign of teeth grinding, which usually occurs during
sleep and can be worsened by stress, says Matthew Messina, DDS, a
consumer advisor to the American Dental Association. Ask your dentist
about a nighttime mouth guard—up to 70% of people who use one reduce or
stop grinding altogether.
4. Stress Symptom: Odd dreams
Dreams usually get progressively more positive as you sleep, so you wake
up in a better mood than you were in when you went to bed, says
Rosalind Cartwright, PhD, an emeritus professor of psychology at Rush
University Medical Center. But when you're stressed, you wake up more
often, disrupting this process and allowing unpleasant imagery to recur
all night. (Find out what else your dreams are trying to tell you.) Good sleep habits can help prevent this; aim for 7 to 8 hours a night, and avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.
5. Stress Symptom: Bleeding gums
According to a Brazilian analysis of 14 past studies, stressed-out
people have a higher risk of periodontal disease. Chronically elevated
levels of the stress hormone cortisol may impair the immune system and
allow bacteria to invade the gums, say researchers. (Here are 7 weird things your teeth are trying to tell you.)
If you're working long hours and eating dinner at your desk, keep a
toothbrush on hand. And "protect your mouth by exercising and sleeping
more, which will help lower stress," says Preston Miller, DDS, past
president of the American Academy of Periodontology.
6. Stress Symptom: Out-of-nowhere acne
Stress increases the inflammation that leads to breakouts and adult
acne, says Gil Yosipovitch, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at
Wake Forest University. Smooth your skin with a lotion containing
skin-sloughing salicylic acid or bacteria-busting benzoyl peroxide, plus
a noncomedogenic moisturizer so skin won't get too dry. If your skin
doesn't respond to treatment within a few weeks, see your doctor for
more potent meds.
7. Stress Symptom: A sweet tooth
Don't automatically blame your chocolate cravings on your lady
hormones—stress is a more likely trigger. When University of
Pennsylvania researchers surveyed pre- and postmenopausal women, they
found only a small decrease in the prevalence of chocolate cravings
after menopause—smaller than could be explained by just a hormonal link.
(Satisfy that craving in a healthy way with these 10 not-so-guilty chocolate treats.) Study authors say it's likely stress, or other factors that can trigger women's hankering for chocolate.
8. Stress Symptom: Itchy skin
A Japanese study of more than 2,000 people found that those with chronic
itch (known as pruritis) were twice as likely to be stressed out as
those without the condition. Although an annoying itch problem can
certainly cause stress, experts say it's likely that feeling anxious or
tense also aggravates underlying conditions like dermatitis, eczema, and
psoriasis. "The stress response activates nerve fibers, causing an
itchy sensation," explains Yosipovitch.
9. Stress Symptom: Worse-than-usual allergies
In a 2008 experiment, researchers from Ohio State University College of
Medicine found that allergy sufferers had more symptoms after they took
an anxiety-inducing test, compared with when they performed a task that
did not make them tense. Stress hormones may stimulate the production of
IgE, a blood protein that causes allergic reactions, says study author
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD.
10. Stress Symptom: Bellyaches
Anxiety and stress can cause stomachaches, along with headaches,
backaches, and insomnia. One study of 1,953 men and women found that
those experiencing the highest levels of stress were more than three
times as likely to have abdominal pain as their more-relaxed
counterparts. The exact connection is still unclear, but one theory
holds that the intestines and the brain share nerve pathways; when the
mind reacts to stress, the intestines pick up the same signal. (Try one
of these 2-minute stress solutions). Because of this link, learning to manage stress with the help of a clinical psychologist, meditation,
or even exercise can usually help relieve tummy trouble too. However,
if you have frequent bellyaches, see your doc to rule out food
allergies, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, or an ulcer.
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